whitewolffandomcom-20200213-history
Creation Rites
Creation Rites are ritus underwent by Sabbat Cainites in order to become true members of the sect. They are performed by a Sabbat priest and can only be revoked by the Regent, the Prisci, or the Grand Inquisitor. Overview Vampires who have not undergone Creation Rites are known as False Sabbat. Such an unfortunate may not participate in Sabbat rime or functions until he has received the Creation Rites, and is in fact considered vampira non grata, to be kicked about, abused and ordered around at any of the "real" vampires' whims. To hear vampires outside the sect talk, all Sabbat are created on the fly, with recruits being drained, fed, bashed over the head with a shovel, buried, and left to claw their way to the surface in a starving frenzy. Needless to say, this is not always the case. Additionally, this method is not actually a Creation Rite. Most Sabbat use the "shovelhead method" only in times of conflict. This method consists of collecting a number of victims, Embracing them with the tiniest quantity of blood possible, bashing them over the head with a shovel (to knock them unconscious before they frenzy), and burying them in a mass grave. The newly Embraced Cainites rouse quickly, and they must dig themselves out of the grave to sate their frenzy, often at the expense of the weaker vampires entombed with them. This method is simple, relatively quick, and quite effective at stripping victims of their Humanity. In any event, vampires created this way have not actually received their Creation Rites. In fact, the Sabbat does not even consider them vampires yet, and it has little reservation against throwing legions of these frenzied horrors against their foes. The mere fact that one is not a vampire until he receives his Creation Rites is a matter of hypocrisy to the Sabbat - they accuse the elders of manipulating pawns to do their bidding, while they themselves hurl waves of lesser Cainites against their foes. The Creation Rites themselves are much more serious, marking the passage from False Sabbat into True Sabbat. Only True Sabbat – those members who have proven themselves in combat or intrigue against the enemy and received the Creation Rites – may select recruits for the sect. They scrutinize potential recruits carefully over several days, weeks and (in some cases) years, looking for strength of conviction, determination, and physical prowess. After the Embrace, the new vampire is eligible for the Creation Rites only after he has demonstrated his worth to the sect – perhaps the very night of his Embrace, perhaps years afterward. Creation Rites always take place in the presence of a priest. The ritus itself is quite simple – the priest merely touches a flaming brand to the initiate's head and leads him in an oath of allegiance. The ceremony that precedes the Creation Rites, however, varies widely, and it is wholly in the hands of the Cainite's sire. Some Panders and Brujah antitribu have ceremonies not unlike gang initiations, which involve pummeling the vampire in question until the sire decides he has had enough. Tzimisce ceremonies are much more civil and formal affairs, often involving recitations of one's lineage and praise of one's sire. Some vampires require no ceremony at all, deciding that they have all the proof that they need from a given vampire's performance, while still others require Byzantine trials or bizarre acts like bestiality, kidnapping, murder, self-mutilation, or other depravity. The Rites serve several purposes, both practical and symbolic. The flames help reduce the new Sabbat's fear of fire, while the ceremony teaches him what is expected of a Sabbat member like himself. Immediately following the Creation Rites comes a Vaulderie, which binds the Cainite to the pack, his new immortal family. Being Uninitiated While a pack priest has the authority to uninitiate any member of their pack, only the Regent, the Prisci, and the Grand Inquisitor can uninitiate a Sabbat member outside of their pack – and even then only under specific circumstances. The Grand Inquisitor may only uninitiate a Sect member who has been convicted of heresy; a quorum of three Prisci may uninitiate one who proves herself ignorant or endangers the Sect. Neither can uninitiate a Regent under any circumstances. The Regent may uninitiate any member of the Sabbat at his will. To be uninitiated means simply that the vampire is once more considered "False Sabbat", and does not mean that she is a traitor. An uninitiated Sabbat is still a member of the Sect, and is owned by her pack. That pack has the right to extract a heavy toll on anyone who harms their property without their consent. Uninitiating a vampire strips her of all status and rank, erasing all previous deeds. Such a vampire must be reeducated before again receiving her Creation Rites and becoming True Sabbat. A period of not less than a year and a day must pass during this "re-education", unless the specific authority who punished the vampire relents and allows the Creation Rites, or unless the Regent specifically and publicly pardons the vampire's transgression. References * Category:Sabbat Category:Vampire: The Masquerade glossary